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S.W.A.T. Star Steve Forrest Dies

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"Let's roll!" started with S.W.A.T.

Steve Forrest, best known for starring in the 1970s action drama, died May 18 at his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif., according to his family. He was 87.

A spinoff of the Aaron Spelling-produced The Rookies, S.W.A.T. ran on ABC for two seasons. Forrest had dozens of TV and film credits to his name, but the Texas-born actor was forever linked to the role of Lt. Dan "Hondo" Harrelson, whose signature line, "Let's roll," has been adopted as a catchphrase many times over.

Fittingly, his final acting gig was a cameo as a SWAT truck driver in the 2003 film S.W.A.T., starring Samuel L. Jackson as Hondo.

After serving in the Army during World War II, Forrest—the younger brother of film star Dana Andrews—attended UCLA and had a number of uncredited movie appearances and bit parts in shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Playhouse 90 during the 1950s. Over the next two decades, he scored roles on iconic TV series such as The Fugitive, Burke's Law, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke and The Six Million Dollar Man.

S.W.A.T. was on in 1975 and 1976, after which Forrest appeared in a number of movies, including North Dallas Forty, Mommie Dearest and Spies Like Us, and enjoyed recurring appearances on TV hits such as Dallas and Murder, She Wrote.

Forrest is survived by his wife of 64 years, Christine. They have three sons together.

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